There are some sources of inspiration that are like a ringing bell for societies, especially when they involve mass deaths.
Although society is notorious for how well it hides its problems, there are some facts that show us where we need to turn our attention.
Ignoring a problem or pretending it doesn’t exist leads us to irreparable situations.
One of them is a mental disorder, a disease that is defined by a combination of how a person feels and how he acts.
A disease that even today is still considered taboo.
We all know, but none of us speak and the worst thing is that we do nothing to help those people.
Even scientists find it difficult to accurately describe such a disease, as it is like trying to find the right words for the whole range of human existence.
Mental illness essentially implies the existence of an emotional disorder or disorder in a person’s thinking or personality.
These disorders, which unfortunately continue to be ignored by societies, have devastating consequences for it and for those who suffer from them.
The mass killings of Colorado
As a result, the mass killings in July 2012 at the Colorado cinema.
A man dressed as Joker has killed 12 people who were watching the movie “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises.”
The news was playing nonstop on US television and every analysis referred to a disturbed person.
This was accepted in court, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 3,318 years without the right to suspension.
The story of James Holmes is not simple. On the contrary, it is a shocking example of how society ignores mental illness.
The first signs
According to his lawyer, Daniel King, Holmes developed his first mental health problems a few years before attempting suicide at the age of 11.
After that, at the age of 12, Holmes began to isolate himself from society.
During his childhood, he was afraid of what he called “Nail Ghosts,” which were scratching the walls at night.
He also saw shadows flickering and fighting with each other with various weapons.
Social worker Margaret Roth, who saw Holmes only once, immediately sent him to psychiatrist Lynne Fenton.
“Holmes was depressed and obsessed with murder for more than ten years,” Dr. Fenton said.
In October 2011, Holmes had an affair with a biology student who testified that:
“Holmes often made jokes that made other people feel uncomfortable while expressing his desire to kill people.”
In the psychologist appointed by the State Holmes said that “the separation of the student contributed to violent depression.”
Indifference is the cause of “slaughter”
During the trial, defense attorneys said Holmes was a patient at Anschutz’s Student Mental Health Services, which the prosecutor rejected.
Shortly afterward, CBS News reported that Holmes had met with at least three mental health professionals at the University of Colorado before the massacre.
One of them considered placing him involuntarily in a mental health clinic but eventually decided that Holmes‘ thoughts would only hurt him.
Psychiatrist Dr. Lynne Fenton told the campus police that a month before the massacre he had stated that Holmes intended to commit murder.
The mass murder of all these people would have been avoided if the state, doctors, and society had paid more attention to the clear signs.
Legally Sane
This whole story was the reason for writing the song “Legally Sane” by Blacklist 9.
A creation by Lonnie and Kyle Silva, which is on their debut album “Mentally Ill“.
Lonnie says he was inspired for the lyrics by watching on television a man dressed as a Joker.
The show repeatedly featured Holme’s interviews. His psychiatrist’s report was enough to trigger the lyrics.
As Lonnie characteristically states:
“They were showing transcripts of his interviews with his psychiatrist. The words he said intrigued me, enabling me to write the lyrics for Legally Sane.”
The main message that the song wants to convey is that we need to help people with mental illness.
We should not be indifferent to the signs, simply because it is not convenient for us to face the truth!
People with mental disorders need the help of all of us and “Legally Sane” was written to awaken people.
The band
Blacklist 9 is a band that moves between Rock and Heavy Metal.
The creation of the band has a beautiful story, as it is a strong father-son relationship.
Lonnie‘s son, Kyle, wanted to start his own band, but couldn’t find kids his age who could handle it.
He asked his father if he would like to form a band together and so Blacklist 9 was created.
The bond that a father can have with his son, becomes even stronger under the melodies of Rock…
“Now writing music and performing on stage with my son has given an unexpected second chance to record and tour.
I love playing the drums. To return to the music world and have a blast. For me age is just a number, look at the Rolling Stone.”
Lionne remembers their first time together on stage:
“The crowd response was really good, Kyle performed on stage like he had been doing this for a while, I knew then we had something special.”
One of the most important moments of the band is the signing of a record deal with Eclipse Records.
“Getting signed to Eclipse Records was big for me, being a drummer in a ton of bands it was like a rule that the singer and guitarist wrote all the material.
On our album “Mentally Ill Legally Sane” I wrote all the lyrics and co-wrote the music with my son”, Lionne said.
Sometimes we forget that in Rock music there are not only singers and guitarists, but also drummers with great talent!
